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PODCAST

The Science of Birds

Ivan Phillipsen

The Science of Birds is a lighthearted exploration of bird biology. It"s a fun resource for any birder or naturalist who wants to learn more about ornithology. Impress your birding friends at cocktail parties with all of your new bird knowledge! Hosted by Ivan Phillipsen, a professional birding guide and passionate naturalist with a PhD in Zoology.

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All Episodes

41:18

How Bird Feathers Get Their Colors

The Science of Birds ·

2022/07/21

This episode—which is Number 56— is all about the colors of birds.The diversity of color in bird plumages is one of the things we love most about these animals.But bird plumages are impressive not only when they display vibrant colors plucked from the rainbow. Thousands of species aren’t what we’d call colorful, but they do have gorgeous, intricately patterned feathers in combinations of black, brown, and white.Today, we’re looking at how feathers get their colors, from white to subtle earth tones

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45:59

Flamingos

The Science of Birds ·

2022/07/08

This is Episode 55. It’s all about birds in the avian family Phoenicopteridae. These are the flamingos.No doubt you already know a fun fact or two about flamingos. These birds are crowd pleasers that get a lot of attention. But today we’re doing a deep dive into their biology. I’m hoping that along the way, you’ll pick up some new flamingo trivia that you can impress your friends with.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestUnderwater Flamingo Feeding [VIDEO]Flamingo courtship dance

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56:30

Eggs: Incredible and Commendable

The Science of Birds ·

2022/06/24

This episode—which is Number 54—is all about bird eggs. This is an important topic. Eggs are a fundamental aspect of bird biology. Recently, in Episode 49 of the podcast, I covered the topic of nests. So it seems like a logical next step for us to get the lowdown on eggs.Oology is the science of studying bird eggs. So today, we are all honorary oologists. We’re egg-heads on a mission to better understand how baby birds come into the world.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Book

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34:26

Avian Flu

The Science of Birds ·

2022/06/12

This episode—which is Number 53—is all about Avian Influenza. Or colloquially what we call the Avian Flu or Bird Flu.Depending on where you live, you might have noticed news headlines in recent months about the frightening spread of Avian Flu among both domestic and wild birds. I thought you might have some questions about this emerging disease, and so here we are with an entire podcast episode on the subject.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestCurrent U.S. Bird Flu Situation in

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28:47

Giant Birds: Go Big or Go Home

The Science of Birds ·

2022/05/26

This is Episode 52. Today, we’re talking about bird species that are way, way bigger than your average chickadee or finch.Our focus will be on evolutionary lineages that spawned some very large bird species. Species whose ancestors had been much smaller, millions of years earlier.We’ll look at a bunch of interesting giant birds throughout history. Then we’ll talk about some scientific explanations for why these critters got so big in the first place.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of

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32:43

The Northern Cardinal

The Science of Birds ·

2022/05/06

This is Episode 51. Our bird of interest today is the Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis.This species is widespread across the eastern and southern US. It’s so well-known and loved that it’s the state bird for 7 states—more than any other species.Northern Cardinals are among the most abundant birds in North America. They’re familiar denizens of backyards that visit feeders all year long. So it shouldn’t be surprising to hear that ornithologists have done a lot of research on this abundant and

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21:51

Female Birdsong

The Science of Birds ·

2022/04/19

This episode—which is Number 50— is all about Female Birdsong. Songs are one of the things we love most about birds. They define the soundscapes of the natural world. Even though humans have been surrounded by singing birds for millions of years, we still have some misconceptions about birdsong. Today’s episode is about a misconception of sex differences in birds… Of who sings and who doesn’t.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestThe Forgotten Female: How a Generation of Women

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52:02

Nests: Types, Construction, and Challenges

The Science of Birds ·

2022/04/06

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27:01

The Pecking Order: Dominance Hierarchies in Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2022/03/25

This episode—which is Number 48—is about the “Pecking Order” in birds. Or, to use the more technical term, dominance hierarchy. Our focus will be on dominance hierarchies that we see among birds within a single species. White-crowned Sparrows beating up on other White-crowned Sparrows, for example, as opposed to White-crowned Sparrows beating up on another species, like Lincoln’s Sparrow. The latter would be an example of interspecies dominance. But today, we’re talking about intraspecies dominance

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42:02

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Family: Laridae)

The Science of Birds ·

2022/03/10

This is Episode 47. It’s all about birds in the family Laridae. This is an ancient evolutionary lineage that originated over 70 million years ago, when the world was still ruled by dinosaurs.Besides gulls and terns, the family Laridae also includes the skimmers and the noddies.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestShoplifting gull stealing Doritos.Link to this episode on the Science of Birds websiteSupport the show

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19:21

Wallace's Line: Where Two Bird Worlds Collide

The Science of Birds ·

2022/02/18

This episode—which is Number 46—is about a special place in the Malay Archipelago where two bird worlds collide. This region lies between Southeast Asia and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. And it’s crowded with about 25,000 islands, of all sizes.Specifically, we’ll be looking at a geographic feature called Wallace’s Line. More generally, today’s episode will touch on the topic of biogeography.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Link to this episode on the Science of Birds

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49:08

Solving Bird Mysteries with Forensic Ornithology

The Science of Birds ·

2022/02/11

This episode is all about forensic ornithology. This is a field where specialists use scientific techniques to identify bird species from trace evidence. Evidence like maybe a bit of feather, a bone fragment, or a smear of blood. Forensic ornithology is used to solve intriguing wildlife crimes like smuggling and illegal hunting. But it’s also helpful in other situations that don’t involve criminal activity. We’ll get into that side of things too.Like a murder mystery novel, today’s subject is,

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18:50

Coffee and Bird Conservation

The Science of Birds ·

2022/01/20

This episode—which is Number 44—is about the relationship between coffee production and bird conservation. We'll get into how do different types of coffee cultivation affect birds, and the conservation benefits of Bird Friendly Coffee.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestSmithsonian Bird Friendly CoffeeBird Friendly Coffee [VIDEO]Coffee and ConservationLink to this episode on the Science of Birds websiteSupport the show

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38:47

The Common Loon

The Science of Birds ·

2022/01/13

This episode—which is Number 43—is all about the Common Loon, Gavia immer. People in Europe may know it as the Great Northern Diver.This bird is a symbol of the northern wilderness in North America. It’s closely associated with lakes and ponds in the boreal forests of the northern US and Canada.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~‍Links of InterestLoon scenes in the movie On Golden Pond [VIDEO]Why Hollywood Loves this creepy bird call [VIDEO]Loon Kills Bald EagleAnimation of Common Loon abundance

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37:44

Awesome Things We Learned About Birds in 2021

The Science of Birds ·

2021/12/30

2021 is over, yo! So it's time for the Annual Review Episode! We’ll be looking back at some highlights of bird science in the year 2021. What fascinating things did ornithologists and other biologists discover about birds this year?I’ve picked 5 studies to highlight for you. These are stories that, in most cases, were interesting enough to make the news.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestVIDEO: A snoozing fox meets a plucky little black-crested titmouseVIDEO: Tapaculos Hunt

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48:40

Swallows and Martins

The Science of Birds ·

2021/12/23

This episode is all about birds in the family Hirundinidae. These are the swallows and martins.Other than when they’re nesting, swallows are in the air almost all day long. This aerial lifestyle and that high-speed, erratic flight pattern can make it hard for us earthbound primates to get close looks at swallows. But these flappy little birds definitely deserve our attention. They have many charms and talents that—with a little patience—we can learn about and see for ourselves.~~ Leave me a review

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49:09

Fire and Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2021/12/07

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43:03

Ask Me Anything About Birds - Nov 2021

The Science of Birds ·

2021/11/16

This is a special episode, and the first of its kind. I answer questions from my listeners. It’s a fun, mixed bag of bird factoids.Who were these lucky people who got to contribute to this episode? The specific listeners who submitted questions were my supporters on Patreon.Of course, the idea is that our discussion today will be interesting and informative to all of my listeners.This Q&A session covers things like bacterial diseases, bike helmets, lemon-scented juncos, and baby owls!~~ Leave me

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51:00

New World Vultures

The Science of Birds ·

2021/11/03

This episode is about the seven bird species in the family Cathartidae: the New World vultures and condors.This group includes species like the Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, and Andean Condor.Among these birds are some that people celebrate, or even revere. But others tend to get ignored, disparaged, or at worst, persecuted. I guess you could say our relationship with New World Vultures has been… complicated.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Support the show

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36:15

How Birds Fly

The Science of Birds ·

2021/10/20

Birds, probably more than any other aerial creatures, have amazed and inspired us with the grace and power of their flight. So just how do they do it?In this episode, we'll look at the physics and anatomy of bird flight.I’ll start off with the basics of aerodynamics as it relates to bird flight. That’s the meat and potatoes of our lesson today. But we’ll also consider the different ways that birds fly—their different modes of flight. Last, we’ll examine some additional adaptations birds have

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136 results

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